Containers incorporating grating assemblies are known. Some cheese grating containers include a grating surface and an opposite plate that are connected by a rotatable threaded shaft or rod that typically extends centrally through the entire hollow interior of the container. Generally, the rotation of the grating surface rotates the threaded rod and causes the plate to travel in a direction toward the grating surface along the threaded rod such that one or more cheese blocks stored in the container are urged toward the grating surface. An example of such a container is described in U.S. Publication No. 2004/0140323.
One problem with the foregoing type of container arises due to specific shape requirements for the cheese block for use in the container. Many cheeses come from cheese makers in large circular blocks. To load such cheeses into the containers, the large cheese block is trimmed. For example, a small block of cheese is first cut from the main block and then trimmed to fit into the small opening of a container. Inserting a block of cheese into a container that includes a central rod can require either for a hole to be drilled through the entire block of cheese, or for the cheese to be cut into smaller pieces shaped to fit between the rod and the container walls. The multiple rounds of cutting and shaping of the cheese to get it into the container can result in a waste of valuable portions of cheese. When packaging expensive cheeses such as parmesan, this waste is not desirable. While cheese trimmings can be used for other purposes, their value can be less than that of larger portions.
Another problem with the foregoing containers is that the inclusion of container-length threaded rods, plates, and other moving parts adds complexity and cost to the container manufacturing process. Another problem is that such containers are typically not reusable after all of the cheese has been dispensed from the container. To refill such a container with another large cheese block, a consumer would have to manually shape a cheese block to fit into a container having a central rod. In addition, the consumer would have to take apart a complex grating assembly having multiple interconnected parts and then put it back together after loading the cheese into the container.